I woke up yesterday morning with Amber
on my mind....I sent her my love....Today my thoughts were loud and clear....It was this....

To Moms....Love your children....Even after they tell you to go to your room......Even
after they tell you nothing and give you the stare.....

Even after you beg them to talk to you and
you beg for answers as you truly want to know
what they are thinking.....

Love them....Even as they turn a cold shoulder and refuse to let you into their little
isolated world where they think they want to be.........

Regardless of their defiance .....A little
love slips in....And sometimes it is that little
bit that saves them.....And the more love you
can squeeze into them....The more ammunition
you hide into their arsenal..The more strength
they will have to draw on when life gets real heavy......

And it will....This is what Moms do....
They take the beating because Moms know their
precious ones are only acting out a part....

A Moms power is her love.....Remember those beautiful words.....God couldn't be every-
where so he created Moms.....

To you sweet Moms that haven't given birth......Do what Moms do to others children..
The same is within you......After all...We are
all children......Our age doesn't adequately
describe us.....Some children are older spirits
than their parents......They merely came down
from heaven later......

I love that thinking.....Because it changes our perception more than anything.....

Nothing changes a person as much as being
loved.....I mean really loved....Even when they
don't seem lovable......

This same principle works with awnry hubbies also.....I heard a wise man say once...
That people look for the performance that works
for them.....And if their performance is rewarded and fed....They continue it...... Sometimes it is only recognition....Sometimes
it is only to be noticed ...You've heard ....Bad
attention is better than none to some....Its true!.......

I had an earth shattering experience once....When my children were younger....And I
was at my wits end.....I prayed and prayed ....
And the answer came to me so loud and clear...
I remember where I was....And I remember vividly
I was walking through the kitchen with tears
running down my face....The answer was this...
Your child is more important than what
happened.....And I got the message instantly...

I was to dwell on the spirit of this child.....What was happening to the heart and
soul of this precious little one whom I had always adored.....And never stopped loving.....

Sometimes they have to live on the faith
and the love you have in them.....As they have
none for themselves......They borrow from you...
Even when they are not aware of it......

How many soldiers do you think are out there fighting and ready to give up....Yet the
thing that flows through them more than anything
is the love that has been squeezed into them
when they were small.....

This love is sometimes all that a person
has.....Whether it is by their own hand or some
one elses.....They grow tired of fighting the
universe and continue on through borrowed love
that is there.....Sometimes it matters not who
put it there.....

Nations were won and lost down through
the centuries over love.....It is the most
powerful of all emotions......

You've heard of Helamens Army of young
soldiers....The men had been destroyed.....And
these boys were all they had....And they went
out to fight with the faith and love of their
Moms.....And won Huge....And they credited it
to their Moms.....

Is this scarry?.....The power of the love
of one little Mom.....Regardless of the outcome
....This is what we were sent to do.....All of
us....To build and love each other and try to
make the world a better place.....

And that is done...One Mom at a time....
With one child at a time.......

I can't believe I had the courage to say
all that....But we underestimate the power of
love that we hold in our hands....Our little
dirty little dish water hands.....The hands that
continually try to fix everything....And try to
mend all the fences.....These little wrinkled
hands are the hands that change the nappies of
Presidents and Doctors........

Are these little Moms important?......
Ask a child who has been loved....Then ask one
who has felt nothing......

Moms love your children.....I read once
that all women are potential mothers....To some
it happens earlier and to some later....But you
can do what Moms do....They love...That is number one on their list.....

I don't want any of you to feel less if
you have not had chidren.....Your turn will come......Sometimes our greatest gifts are with-
held till later.....

But to you who have children.....I know
without asking....You have turned to a higher
source for help.....Children are our teachers...

We can never love them too much....We can
we unwise....But we cannot ever love them too
much.....

You already know I am going to mention
Michael....The love that is there for this young
little spark that has hit town is amazing.....

He didn't invent love....But he has so much
in him.....He in essence is doing a Mom thing...
In being so successful at making people feel
loved....He has made a lot of them lovable.....

Thats a Mom thing.....So love your children....Even when they are rude....That is
about every 10 seconds....But you have to know
in your heart of hearts Mom....You brought this tiny little bundle of joy down from heaven..The bond between you will be there forever.....

Honor it and cherish it....If they make it
.....The odds are that their strength came from
mostly their Moms.....Moms nurture...Dad makes
the living.....

A family is forever.....This life is just
but a minute compared to eternity......

I can say a lot of these things as I have
lived them......Love to you all I remain...

I knew someone out there in this broad
landscape would relate to some of my experiences
......Because I know kids are kids....And they all have a bit of ginger in them.....

But in a website like this....And we don't
know each other all that well..We are protective
of our personal whip-lashing we've had....We guard it....Until we've lived a season or two...
...And we feel stable or secure enough to let
them out of jail....Where we have protected them
for so long.....

Did any of you see Opra when she described
her feelings after her family member betrayed her?.....She said she kept her secret..{That she
had a baby by rape when she was 14 and it died}
...And how her feelings completely amazed her
after she got over the hurt....She felt so liberated....And free finally and she is 50 ish
I think.....

This is one of my favorite lessons I have
learned in my life....We have to let the door
swing both ways....We have to swallow the bitter
cup some times.......But if we can give the problem some air rather than smothering it...It
is so healthy and liberating.....When we realize
we have cooked it long enough...Time to take it
out of the oven....Often we think..What was the
big deal?......

It's what professional people do with you
......When you go to them....They get you to talk ......They don't give you the answers...But
as you release them....The beauty comes in the
process....The peace comes to you....You really
do it....They just let you talk your way to the solution....Its like a treasure hunt....

Anyway Diane....Thanks for your reply....
Have a good day Hon.....Gram Irene.....

It is that time of year when giving is on our minds. Giving
a present to someone you love. A well thought out attempt
to show how very much you care.

We give our time to those who need us there. Time, is the valuable
thing, and yet, you cannot measure it in dollars and cents.

We give money to those who do the work of God's care takers of the
needy in the world. We help them to do what they do best.

I believe that I get many gifts each day and always at least one
person whom God has sent to touch my life. It reminds me in a
special way that we are all connected, we worldly travelers, making
our way through life.

Yesterday I received one of those "gifts." An email arrived to tell
me that someone commented on the KSolo website about a song I
had done there.

Although I have not been singing as much lately, I thought I'd check it
out.

A visitor wrote this simple line commenting on one of my songs:

"I just heard you sing "singin' in the rain" and you even had my
kids up and dancing, what a great song."

I smiled when I read it. I thought about all the things I try to do
to "touch the world one person at a time." But this was special.

I made her kids get up and dance. Kids dancing! In a rare and
beautiful moment I touch the future. My attempt at singing a song
that gives me "happy feet" actually made the children dance.

I had to tell this person what they had done for me that day.

I replied...

"What a gift you have given me today! To think that I had your
children dancing makes me very happy. I, my wife and one of my
children were in Universal Studios park in Florida when it
started to rain. Immediately they began playing that song.
Right in the open, in front of all the visitors, I started dancing.
I don't dance well, but that song makes my heart dance.
Of course my son was embarrassed. Not the first time. So,
knowing I made your children dance...What a gift you
have given me today."

It got me thinking. Every person who comes into my life gives
me a gift. It is not this one time of the year that I get such
special gifts. They need not be a word of praise or the
sharing of great wisdom.

The gift I get I must choose to see. I wonder then, how many gifts
I have let pass me by without acknowledging?

Imagine then, hearing someone say..."You are my gift for today."

You, all wrapped up in God's love and created to be a gift to many.

You, touching one's life, just by being yourself.

I would guess then, if we could try to see the value in another person,
we would begin to see the value in ourselves.

Be the gift you want to receive.

Tell someone, "What a gift you have given me today!"

by Bob Perks

So here's my point to you all: "What a gift you have given me in the past year!!!" Thanks for your time and I wish you all enough...

To Mom Amber, my favorite ladies here, and all the Moms who think they have to do it all:

"It Only Takes 30 Minutes a Day"by Barbara Stockwell

A few weeks ago I read an article about the importance of studying scriptures, so I set my alarm for thirty minutes earlier every day. Then I remembered that I really wanted to write in my journal every day, so I stayed up a half-hour later each night.

Then last week, my doctor told me I should really exercise daily, so I got up a little earlier to jog. Later in the week, I read a magazine article that promised me beautiful skin in only fifteen minutes a day, and another one that said that a half-hour a day of meditation could change my life. A self-help book told me I should spend at least thirty minutes a day visualizing my desires and repeating positive affirmations. I had to get up earlier to do it.

Still I was able to squeeze other activities into my already heavily scheduled day. I learned to do the pelvic tilt to relieve my lower back pain while driving to work. And I did my isometric exercises while at my desk. I cut my lunch hour in half in order to read from the classic works of literature I checked out at the library. In only half hour a day, I was able to finish before they were due and I could check out more…except for War and Peace. For that one, I had to stay up a little late at night and read, after my goal planning was done.

Another women’s magazine said I could give myself professional nail care in only ten minutes a day. It also suggested that a foot soak after work would do wonders to relieve tiredness. I tried to do that while I was preparing dinner, but I got so relaxed I kept dropping carrot sticks in the gravy. Dinner was delayed a little, and that would push bedtime back about a half-hour. But it was all worth it. I was becoming a new woman.

I learned in a class on success that the only way to make it in life is to write a “to do” list each night and then review it every morning to set priorities for the day. It only takes a few minutes and saves a lot of time in the long run. And did you know that if you spend only an extra forty-five minutes a day on housework you never have to get bogged down in spring cleaning?

It is marvelous how many things can be done in such a short time, and I would feel negligent if I couldn’t find those few minutes. After all, is a few minutes a day for all that improvement too much to ask? I can always set the alarm a little earlier.

But last night, as I was setting the alarm after my prayers, I realized that it was time to get up and jog. Maybe I should make out a new schedule—it’ll only take a few minutes…

Charter Member of the Girl Scouts of MB Honors Society
"You make me sing. You're every line. You're every word. You're everything." --MB

Originally posted by Shelley:
but what drew me to Michael was his humanity. He maintains his humanity and shares this - possibly without even realizing it. He reaches out to people in the most endearing and genuine ways.
I was witnessing a personal experience between Michael and one of his fans... There was a woman escorted by two family members and my friend and I directed them up towards Michael. The family members informed Michael that the woman was blind and that she would recognize him by his voice. Michael took her hands and asked how she would know what he looks like. He spoke gently to her then took her hands and put them on his face and laughed and joked about the features of his face as her fingers glided over his nose and lips.

Shelley - I have a lump in my throat just reading this. Many people in Michael's situation would be caught off guard and wouldn't know what to do (that would be me!!). Instead it appears that he didn't think twice about it. He knew how to share the gift of sight. He made that fan feel included in every aspect of him - visual and auditory. It's stories like these that keep re-affirming what I've felt a long time now.....Michael (and his family!) just make me want to be a better person.

Interests:Love to spend time with family, friends and other Buble fans.
Love to Scrap
Attend and watch Hockey, Football and Baseball games, Dog shows, listening to music, Working on the 13 Man Band message board

Posted 20 August 2005 - 02:48 PM

Irene -
Michael is one of those rare entertainers that come but once in a million years. He is in a class all by himself.

His whole family has to be extremely proud of what he has accomplished (and what is to come.

Beata ~I'm happy to hear of your good news ~ that you're feeling a little better and that a Michael Bublé concert is on the horizon! Life is good! Stay with us here and we'll continue to help with your recovery! Check your PMs!Rita

"People will forget what you say, people will forget what you do, but people will NEVER forget how you make them feel."

Thank you for loving our little "Love
Nest" we have here.....I too love being here...
But it's people like you that keep the
kindling on the fire....And keep it burning....
I don't know if you ever listen to Jay Leno....But last night the FruitCake Lady was on
.....And she said...."If you can't find Christmas in your heart...You'll never find it
under the tree."......

I craved that ....And I thought ...You
know some people have Christmas in their heart
all year long.....And I also thought how lucky and how fortunate are they.....They don't have to try to find it in the store somewhere and then try to wrap it up.....

See Blossom....That's what we have here..
In our own little place....Where we can share
"Tender Mercies"......Some of the prescious things that happen to us and things that have
meaning to us.....And also why they have a special meaning to us.....This is truly one of
the greatest things that has happened to me....

I can sit here ....without going out in the cold....And visit with the choicest people in all the world.....People who if I saw them on
the street I wouldn't know from Adam......But
here in this setting....I have come to know of
your spirit and grown to love so many dear and
sweet people that I never even knew existed....
How great is that?......

I have heard from all over the world and
never in my wildest imagination could I comprehend hearing from someone in Australia as
quick as it takes to push a button......Or in
Germany...or in England....Fantastic!......

But you are all such great people....And
you just raised the bar because you love Michael
.......As the Chinaman said...You must be....

{I don't know where that chinaman keeps
coming from}.......He just seems to show up?

Anyway....We can laugh.....Cry....Or tell
it like we think it is....And It is so great...
I so love to talk about Michael.....I'm so
proud of him....For so many things....I would love to know what David Foster has to say about
him now at this stage.....
Can any of you remember the interview when
this gal asked David Foster if he thought Michael had what it took to go the long haul?..
And David Foster said..."No...He didn't think he was dedicated enough....He said He thought MIchael should stay away from going out
after his engagements and do the music."....I so
remember that interview....This gal had on a yellow top....And it was in the earlier times...
When Michael was starting on his first tour....

Michael has made David eat those words....
And desert on top of that.....Maybe David was
trying reverse psychology on him......But whatever it worked.....

And to Amber.....I so admire you for the
tenacity Michael has....And the self-confidence
and the self-reassurance.....What Michael has
done was something he believed in and he believed it could be done......And he did it...
And I believe against what a great number
of people thought he could do.....This all came
from deep inside of him.....And I believe the
strength came from the way he was raised.....
I'm sure his work ethic came from home...
However....Amber....I do have a small item I
would like to discuss with you.....You made that
boy ...Cut the Lawn?.....Have you not heard of
Child Labor Laws up there in the land of the
Mounties in Canada?......I repeat....You made that boy cut the lawn?.....Oh my!.....I did think of contacting the Child Abuse Center..But then again....I may have to meditate on that.....

Oh Amber....Aren't you just so excited for
him......Do you have trouble sleeping?....You
for sure must have sleeping pills.....

I just know you are beside yourself...with
him coming home for Christmas....It won't be
long enough....Even for him....But tell him....
That's how his fans feel when his concert is over.....Its never long enough.....We so love him Amber.....He has brought a new dimension
into our lives....He has made us all feel loved.
....And We love the excitement of the feeling...
He is so alive and His exhuberance lights up
wherever he is.....

He wants his fans to love him.....But we
adore him.....He made us the way we are....All you have to do is read this message board and find out how much we love this boy of yours....
And we are pathetic....But when we hear or
see him singing we are the happiest and most pathetic bunch of people in the whole world...
And I simply can't wait to meet all you
bitten by the buble'bug people in Las Vegas....
Well I must run.....I surely must have
something I assigned myself to do...And when I
remember what it was I will attend to it.....

Have a great time preparing....You know that is half the fun....The anticipation....Be
ever so careful you all ......I love you all....

GOOD DAY EVERYONE.
ANDREA, YES. CHOCOLATE. CAN YOU PICTURE BEING IN IRENE'S COTTAGE, SNOW FALLING, SOFTLY COVEREING THE TREES, BIG LOGS IN THE FIREPLACE, ALL OF US SITTING AROUND THE FIRE, WE ARE WAITING FOR IRENE'S FAMOUS HOMEMADE BREAD TO GET DONE, THE SMELL IS DRIVING US GIDDY, SO GIDDY THAT WE ARE EATING CHOCOLATE, YES CHOCOLATE, THE RICH, MELT IN YOUR MOUTH THAT SLOWLEY GOES DOWN YOU
R THROAT BEGGING FOR MORE. IREENE HAS MICHAEL'S "IVE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN" PLAYING. HOW PERFECT. BY THE WAY, THAT'S A MAGICAL CHOCOLATE, NOOO CALORIES . IRENE RUNNING AROUND SAYING LET THE BREAD BURN BRING ON THE CHOCOLATE.

I hope and pray that this little love
note finds Michael home with you.....I get chills thinking of whats going on within you....
I know the love that has to be there....
Anywhere Michael shows up his love comes with him.....He seems to have this capacity to love
everyone.....Which is very rare.....
But you know...How they say the Apple doesn't fall far from the tree.....I have an
inklin that Michaels orchard was a little closer
to heaven than most......

Please give him a kiss for me and us and
tell him how much we all adore him......Yo!